Analysis of Fat Graft Survival and Platelet-Rich Plasma Effects: The Transcriptomic Differences

Abstract

Introduction: Fat graft survival has been studied numerously but has not gone beyond hypothetical solutions. The molecular changes in survival of standard fat grafts and enhanced survival by platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are compared in this study to reveal the etiology that causes the loss of fat grafts after transplantation.Materials and methods: A New Zealand rabbit's inguinal fat pads were excised and divided into three groups: Sham, Control (C), and PRP. Each weighing 1 g, C and PRP fat were placed into the bilateral parascapular area of the rabbit. After 30 days, the remaining fat grafts were harvested and weighed (C = 0.7 g, PRP = 0.9 g). All three specimens were put into transcriptome analysis. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Analysis were done to compare the genetic pathways between the specimens.Results: Transcriptome analysis showed similar differential expressions in Sham vs. PRP and Sham vs. C comparisons, indicating the dominance of the cellular immune response in both C and PRP specimens. C and PRP comparison resulted in inhibited migration and inflammation pathways in PRP.Conclusion: Fat graft survival is more related to immune responses than any other physiological process. PRP enhances survival by attenuating cellular immune reactions.

Regenerative Therapies for Basal Thumb Arthritis—A Systematic Review

“…Winter et al [29] reported the statistically significant outcome of a combination therapy of PRP and fat grafting vs. two other modalities over a mean follow-up of 24 months. This synergistic effect seems to result from PRP enhancing graft survival and secretion of growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and modulating immunogenic responses, pointing to the regenerative benefits of a combined treatment [12,32,33].…”